Wire catching device for a continuous wire spooler

ABSTRACT

A wire catching device for a continuous wire spooler for preventing the cut end of the wire from whipping. The device comprises a ring-shaped cover positioned at one end of a wire reel. The cover is provided with an internal annular chute into which the cut end of the wire is guided and in which the end of the wire remains by means of the centrifugal force acting upon the wire during rotation of the reel.

United States Patent 11 1 Leinonen et a1.

[451 Sept. 25, 1973 WIRE CATCHING DEVICE FOR A CONTINUOUS WIRE SPOOLER [76] Inventors: Aarno Olavi Leinonen,Tapio1a; Asko Sakari Riekkinen, Kirkkonummi, both of Finland [22] Filed: Feb. 18, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 227,448

Related US. Application Data I [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 22,781, March 26,

1970, abandoned.

[30] Foreign'Application Priority Data 3 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,621,190 11/1971 Morikawa et a1 242/25 A X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,168,732 4/1964 Germany 242/25 A 28,602 11/1969 Japan 242/25 A 14,423 11/1968 Japan 242/25 A Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Milton S. Gerstein Attorney-Eric I-I. Waters et a1.

57 ABSTRACT v A wire catching device for a continuous wire spooler for preventing the cutend of the wire from whipping. The device comprises a ring shape d cover positioned at one end of a wire 'reelQThe cover'is provided with an internalannular chute into which the cut end of the wire is guided and in which the end of the wire remains by means of the centrifugal force acting upon the wire during rotation of the reel.

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PATENTED SEPZSIQH SHEU 6 0f 6 WIRE CATCIIING DEVICE FOR A CONTINUOUS WIRE SPOOLER The present invention concerns a device for use in continuous spoolers to prevent the cut end of a wire from whipping. This application is a continuation-inpart application of U.S. Pat. application No. 22,781, filed Mar. 26, 1970, and now abandoned.

In continuous spooling operations the wire is cut in connection with the changing of the spooling of the wire from one reel to an adjacent reel. The loose end of the cut wire on the fully loaded reel is rotating with the reel and is able to cause damage to the wire layers on the adjacent reel.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a device, which catches the loose end of the wire whilst the speed of the loaded reel is being slowed down and prevents the end of the wire from touching the surface layer of the adjacent reel.

Theobject aimed at is achieved by means of a wire catching device for a continuous wire spooler having two rotatable reels for preventing the cut end of the wire from whipping on a rotating reel, which device comprises for each reel a non-rotatable ring-shaped cover positioned adjacent one end of the corresponding reel, said ring-shaped cover being fonned with an inner annular chute provided with at least one inlet opening extending over the path of rotation of the cut end of the wire and through which the cut end of the wire is guided into the cover and radially caught by the chute by means of the centrifugal force acting upon the wire during rotation of the reel.

' The device according to this invention has the follow ing advantages:

the loose end of the wire is not able to cause any damage to the surface layers of the adjacent reel whereby scrapping of wire is avoided,

the breaking of the end of the wire and the fragments being thrown about at great speed on'the adjacent reel and to the surrounding is prevented.

Two embodiments of the invention are described below in detail with reference being made .to the appended drawings, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 are a back and a plan view respectively of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged frontview of the finger mechanism,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line 5--5 in FIG. 4,

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are a front view and opposite side views respectively of a cover element in an enlarged scale,

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cover element prises a stationary frame, not shown, which rotatably supports the horisontal shafts l and 2 of two mutually spaced vertical discs 3 and 4 respectively. The discs support reels 5 and 6 which are positioned with one side flange concentrically against the corresponding discs 3 and 4. The opposite side flanges of the reels are supported by discs like plates, not shown, rotatably mounted in the frame of the spooler. The supporting plates are coupled to separate power means for rotating each group comprising a plate, a reel 5 or 6 and a disc 3 or 4 as one rigid unit during the spooling operation.

Each disc 3 and 4 is surrounded by a ring shaped cover 7 and 8 respectively. The shape of the covers 7 and 8 is explained in detail in connection with FIGS. 6 to 18. The covers are provided with fixed supports 9 and 10 by means of which the covers are pivotably supported by the frame of the spooler to pivot around vertical pins 11 and 12. At the opposite side the covers are connected at 13 and 14 to horisontal air cylinders 15 and 16 respectively by means of piston rods 17 and 18. The cylinders 15 and 16 are supported by a support beam 19 of the frame of the spooler.

The spooler is also provided with a spooling distributor 20 which is mounted in the frame of the spooler slidably in the axial direction of the reels as well as perpendicularly thereto in a horisontal plane. Ths distributor controls the feeding of a wire 21 on to each reel in a known manner. The spooling distributor 20 is basically of the same type and mechanical construction as, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,546,636 and 2,626,l 11, with the exception that the manual operation by means of the handwheel 94 shown in each of these patents has been replaced by an automatic displacement control of the type illustrated in German published application No. 1,168,732. The German system differs from the spooling distributor 20 only in that in the German system the guide wheels are stationary and the wire is displaced by a movable wire displacer, whereas in the present invention the entire guiding unit or distributor 20 is mounted movably in place of the wire displacer in the German specification. The operational circuit is of the same type as is illustrated in the German specification with the exception of the above-mentioned difference.

The spooler is further provided with guiding finger means positioned between said covers 7 and 8. The finger means are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5 and comprise a finger 22 supported by a plate 23 pivotably supported by a support arm 24 by means of a pivot shaft25. The support arm 24 is fastened to a support beam 26 of the frame of the spooler. The plate 23 is further provided with a shaft 27 rotatably supporting rollers 28 and 29 on opposite sides of the plate. The covers 7 and 8 are provided with fixed plates 30 and 31 provided with said joints l3 and 14. The plates 30 and 31 are positioned with respect to the finger means in such a way that when either cover, e.g., cover 8 is pushed by the corresponding cylinder 16 to its covering position shown by full lines in FIG. 5 and illustrated by the left cover 7 in FIG. 2 the corresponding plate 31 pushes the roller 29 in a direction turning the plate 23 clockwise in FIG. 5 and raising the finger 22 from its inoperative horisontal position shown in FIG. 5 by dotted lines 22A to its operative vertical'position shown in full lines in FIGS. 4 and 5 as well as in FIGS. 1 to 3. When the cover 8 is retracted by the hydraulic cylinder 16 to the uncovering position shown by dotted lines 8A in FIG. 5 and illustrated by the right cover 8 in FIG. 2

the plate 31 disengages the roller 29 so that the plate 23 may be turned anticlockwise in FIG. 5 by a spring, not shown, to its inoperative horisontal position 22 A.

The cover 8 has been illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 to 18. In FIGS. 8 and 17 and 18 the cover support has been omitted for making the views more illustrative. The cover unit comprises a radial annular wall 32, an axially directed circumferential wall increasing from a narrow wall portion 33A through an intermediate wall portion 33B to a broader wall portion 33C and an annular flange 34 directed radially inwardly from said circumferential wall 33. Said radial wall 32, circumferential wall 33A-C and flange 34 form a circumferential chute 35 inside the cover 8. The broader wall portion 33C terminates in an inlet edge 36 and forms together with the flange 34, which at the inlet forms a slightly broader inlet flange portion 34A, an inlet opening 37 to the chute 35.

As appears from FIGS. 2 and 9 the narrow circumferential wall portion 33A is of such dimensions that it extends axially slightly over the disc 4 whereas the broader wall portion 33C extends about the double distance over the disc 4.

The spooler operates in the following way: Reference is made especially to FIGS. 1 to 3.

During the spooling of the wire on to the reel 1 the distributor 20 is positioned in the position indicated by dotted lines 20A in FIGS. 1 and 2. When a predetermined amount of wire (which is slightly less than the full amount of wire to be spooled on the reel) has been wound on the reel 1 a counting device, not shown, sends an impulse to a displacing mechanism for moving the distributor 20 to the position shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as an impulse to the power means of the empty reel 2 for starting the rotation of the reel. When the full amount of wire has been spooled on the reel 1 a third impulse is sent to actuate the cylinder to displace the cover 7 towards the full reel -1 and consequently to push the roller 28 of the finger means by means of the plate 30. Due to this the cover 7 is displaced to its covering position in which it completely surrounds the corresponding disc 3 and the finger 22 is raised to its vertical position in which it urges the wire in between both discs 3 and 4. As the disc 3 is covered by the cover 7 the wire is only pressed against the cover without coming into contact with the disc 3. However, as the disc 4 is uncovered the wire is pressed against the disc 4 and engages in a catch 38 provided in said disc.

Consequently the wire is cut off and the spooling of the wire continues now on to the empty reel 2. The cut off wire end remaining on the reel 1 slides along the flange 34 of the cover 7 until the wire end strikes against the enlarged wall portion 33C and is drawn through the inlet opening 37 into the chute of the cover. This operation is explained more closely in connection with FIG. 19. At the same time the finger raises and the wire is cut off the power means for the reel 1 are disconnected (e.g., by a switch operated by the finger) and therefore the reel stops after a while. During this final rotation step the wire end remains in said chute. After the reel 1 has stopped it is replaced with an empty reel and the cover 7 is retracted to its uncovering position so that the finger 22 turns down to its inoperative position.

The spooling of the wire continues on reel 2 until again a predetermined amount of wire has been wound. The the counting device sends a first impluse to displace the distributor 20 to the position indicated by dotted lines 20A in FIGS. 1 and 2, a second impulse to start the empty reel 1, a third impulse to actuate the cylinder 16 to displace the cover 8 to its position where it covers the disc 4. Due to this the finger 22 is turned to its vertical position where it presses the wire against the uncovered disc 3 so that the wire is caught and cut off by the catch 39 of the disc 3.

As appears from FIG. 19 the flange 34 of the cover 8 now prevents the wire from being caught by the catch of the disc 4 as the wire is pressed against said flange by the finger 22. The cut off wire end is indicated with 21A and it is forced substantially radially outwards by the centrifugal force. As the reel 2 rotates the wire end slides along the flange 34 until it strikes against the inlet edge 36 at the inlet opening 37 of the cover. The wire end is in this position indicated with 21B. As the rotation of the reel 2 continues the wire end is gradually drawn inside the cover 8 into the chute 35. When the wire end is guided completely into the chute the wire end is pressed against the circumferential wall 33 due to the centrifugal force and is prevented by the flange 34 from getting out from the chute. This position of the wire is indicated with 21C. Thus the wire end remains in the chute until the reel stops and the wire end is drawn out therefrom when the full reel is removed.

A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 23. This embodiment compirses two discs 40 and 41 supported rotatably in the frame, not shown, of the spooler by means of shafts 42 and 43. Each disc supports a reel 44 and 45 respectively and is covered by a cover 46 and 47 respectively. The covers are provided with supports 48, 49 for fixing the covers rigidly in said frame.

The spooler is also provided with a distributor 50 of the same construction and operation as the distributor 20 according to the first embodiment.

The spooler is further provided with finger means positioned between said covers 46 and 47. The finger means comprise two fingers 51 and 52 supported by separate plates 53 mounted pivotably on a pivot shaft 54 supported by an arm 55 fastened in a support beam 56 of the frame of the spooler. Each plate 53 is provided with a fixed arm 57 connected 'to the piston rod 58 of pneumatic cylinders 59 and 60 respectively supported by said beam 56.

The covers 46 and 47 are substantially of the same shape as the previously mentioned covers 7 and 8 and comprise a radial annular wall 61, an axially directed circumferential wall increasing from a narrower wall portion 62A through an intermediate wall portion 623 to a broader wall portion 62C and an annular flange 63 directed radially inwards from said circumferential wall. Thus the cross sections of the covers correspond substantially to those of FIGS. 10 to 18 and each cover forms a similar inside chute terminating in an inlet opening 64 with an inlet edge and an enlarged flange portion 63A.

The operation of the spooler according to FIGS. 20 to 23 differs from the operation of the first embodiment with respect to the operation of the finger means.

During the spooling of the wire 65 on to the reel 44 the distributor 50 is positioned in the position indicated by dotted lines 50A in FIGS. 20 and 21. When a predetermined amount of wire (which is slightly less than the full amount of wire to be spooled on the reel) has been wound on the reel 44 a counting device, not shown, sends a first impulse to start the power means of the empty reel 45 and a second impulse to actuate the cylinder 59 to turn the finger 51 from its horizontal position indicated in FIG. 23 by dotter lines 51A to its vertical operative position shown by fulllines in FIG. 23. When the full amount of wire has been spooled on the reel 44 the counting device sends a third impulse to a displacing mechanism for moving the distributor S to the position shown in full lines in FIGS. 20 and 21 and a fourth impulse to actuate the cylinder 60 to turn the second finger 52 to its operative vertical position. Due to this the wire is forced to run on different sides of the fingers as appears from FIGS. 20 and 21. The finger 52 urges the wire towards the disc 41 so that the wire is caught and cut off by a catch 66 provided on said disc whereas the finger 51 prevents the wire from contacting the disc 40 and the catch 67 provided thereon. When the reel'44 rotates the cut off wire end strikes against the inlet edge and is drawn through the inlet opening 64 into the chute formed inside the cover 46 in the same way as is illustrated in FIG. 19. When the finger 52 has been raised to its vertical position an impulse is sent to stop the power means of the reel 44 and to actuate the cylinders 59 and 60 tp turn down the fingers 51 and 52 respectively.

The drawingsand explanations referring to them are, of course, only intended to visualize the idea of the invention. In fact, the embodiments of the invention may be modified within the scope of the claims. Thus each cover may be provided with several inlet openings to the inner chute.

What we claim is:

l. A wire catching device for a continuous wire spooler having two reels rotatable about parallel axes for preventing wire having a cut end from said cut wire end whipping on a rotating reel, which device comprises for each reel, a non-rotatable ring-shaped cover for transferring wire from one reel to the other reel being positioned adjacent one end of the corresponding reel, said ring-shaped cover having an inner circumferential chute provided with at least one inlet opening extending over the path of rotation of the cut end of the wire and through which the cut end of the wire is guided into the cover and radially caught by the chute by means of the centrifugal force acting upon the wire during rotation of the reel.

2. A device according to claim 1, comprising means for pivoting each ring-shaped cover so that the ring shaped cover located at the end of. the reel being loaded with said wire is displaced during the wire transferring sequence towards the corresponding reel, a catching flange being located adjacent the reel being loaded with said wire, the edge of the cover being extended axially over said catching flange so as to prevent the wire from fastening to said flange. 

1. A wire catching device for a continuous wire spooler having two reels rotatable about parallel axes for preventing wire having a cut end from said cut wire end whipping on a rotating reel, which device comprises for each reel, a non-rotatable ringshaped cover for transferring wire from one reel to the other reel being positioned adjacent one end of the corresponding reel, said ring-shaped cover having an inner circumferential chute provided with at least one inlet opening extending over the path of rotation of the cut end of the wire and through which the cut end of the wire is guided into the cover and radially caught by the chute by means of the centrifugal force acting upon the wire during rotation of the reel.
 2. A device according to claim 1, comprising means for pivoting each ring-shaped cover so that the ring-shaped cover located at the end of the reel being loaded with said wire is displaced during the wire transferring sequence towards the corresponding reel, a catching flange being located adjacent the reel being loaded with said wire, the edge of the cover being extended axially over said catching flange so as to prevent the wire from fastening to said flange. 